OPTICAL READER AND METHOD OF ANALYZING BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES

Abstract

The optical reader for analyzing biological samples comprises a reading plane (3) for receiving a microplate (1), an illuminating arrangement (4) configured to illuminate samples in the wells (2) of the microplate (1), an imaging device (6) arranged to receive light from the microplate (1), a beam splitter (7), which is arranged to direct light from the illuminating arrangement (4) towards the reading plane (3) and to direct light received from the microplate (1) to the imaging device (6), and a lens system (8) arranged between the beam splitter (7) and the reading plane (3) to focus the light received from the illuminating arrangement (4) to a sample and to focus an image of the sample to the imaging device (6). The optical reader is configured to transmit from the illuminating arrangement (4) to the lens system (8) only light having a specific polarization, and the optical reader comprises a polarizer (10, 19) that is arranged between the lens system (8) and the imaging device (6) and configured to block polarized light reflected from the surfaces of the lens system (8).

Claims

1. An optical reader for analyzing biological samples arranged in the wells of a microplate, the optical reader comprising: a horizontal reading plane for receiving a microplate comprising a plurality of wells, an illuminating arrangement comprising a light source and being configured to illuminate the samples in the wells of the microplate, an imaging device arranged to receive light from the microplate, a beam splitter, which is arranged to direct part of the light from the illuminating arrangement towards the reading plane and to direct part of the light received from the microplate to the imaging device, and a lens system comprising at least one lens and being arranged between the beam splitter and the reading plane to focus the light received from the illuminating arrangement to a sample and to focus an image of the sample to the imaging device, wherein the optical reader is configured to transmit from the illuminating arrangement to the lens system only light having a specific polarization, and the optical reader comprises a polarizer that is arranged between the lens system and the imaging device and configured to block polarized light reflected from the surfaces of the lens system.

2. An optical reader according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating arrangement is configured to illuminate the samples in the wells of the microplate with light having a first polarization direction, and a polarizer having a second polarization direction that is perpendicular to the first polarization direction is arranged between the beam splitter and the imaging device.

3. An optical reader according to claim 2, wherein the light source is arranged to produce unpolarized light and the illuminating arrangement comprises a polarizer arranged between the light source and the beam splitter.

4. An optical reader according to claim 1, wherein a circular polarizer is arranged between the beam splitter and the lens system.

5. An optical reader according to claim 4, wherein the angle between the normal of the surface of the circular polarizer and the longitudinal axis of the lens system is in the range of 5-15 degrees.

6. An optical reader according claim 1, wherein the imaging device comprises a camera sensor.

7. An optical reader according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating arrangement comprises an integrating chamber.

8. An optical reader according to claim 1, wherein the illuminating arrangement comprises at least one LED for producing the light used for illuminating the samples.

9. An optical reader according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device is arranged above the beam splitter.

10. An optical reader according to claim 1, wherein the optical reader comprises a reference detector arranged to measure the intensity of light produced by the illuminating arrangement and passed through the beam splitter.

11. An optical reader according to claim 1, wherein the optical reader comprises a first filter that is arranged between the illuminating arrangement and the beam splitter and configured to pass through light only in one or more first predetermined wavelength ranges, and a second filter that is arranged between the beam splitter and the imaging device and configured to pass through light only in one or more second predetermined wavelength ranges.

12. An optical reader according to claim 1, wherein the lens system comprises an aperture, through which the light from the beam splitter is directed to a well of the microplate, and the diameter of the aperture is at most the same as the diameter of the well.

13. A method of analyzing biological samples arranged in the wells of a microplate, which is arranged in a horizontal reading plane, the method comprising the steps of: producing polarized or unpolarized light by means of an illuminating arrangement, directing part of the produced light by means of a beam splitter towards a sample in a well of a microplate, in case of unpolarized light, polarizing the light received from the beam splitter, directing light with a specific polarization by means of a lens system to the sample, passing at least part of the light reflected from the microplate and the sample and/or emitted by the sample through the lens system, directing part of the light received from the microplate and the lens system by means of the beam splitter towards an imaging device, and forming an image of the sample by means of the imaging device, wherein polarized light reflected from the surfaces of the lens system are blocked by means of a polarizer arranged between the lens system and the imaging device.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein light with a first polarization direction is produced by means of the illuminating arrangement and light received from the lens system and the beam splitter is polarized by means of a polarizer having a second polarization direction that is perpendicular to the first polarization direction.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein polarized light is produced in the illuminating arrangement by producing unpolarized light and passing it through a polarizer.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein light received from the beam splitter is polarized by means of a circular polarizer that is arranged between the beam splitter and the lens system.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein unpolarized light is produced by means of at least one LED.

18. A method according to claim 13, wherein unpolarized light is directed towards the beam splitter from an integrating chamber.

19. A method according to claim 13, wherein the light from the illuminating arrangement is reflected to the sample by the beam splitter.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the intensity of light produced by the illuminating arrangement and passing the beam splitter is measured.

21. A method according to claim 13, wherein the samples are arranged in a microplate, where the walls of the wells are black.

22. A method according to claim 13, wherein the samples are arranged in a microplate, where the bottoms of the wells are white.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Embodiments of the invention are described below in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0028] FIG. 1 shows schematically an optical reader according to an embodiment of the invention,

[0029] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an integrating sphere, and

[0030] FIG. 3 shows a schematically an optical reader according to another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0031] FIG. 1 shows an optical reader according to an embodiment of the invention. The optical reader can be used for analyzing biological samples arranged in the wells 2 of a microplate 1. The microplate 1 is arranged in a horizontal reading plane 3 of the optical reader. The optical reader according to the invention can be used in particular for ELISPOT and FluoroSpot assays.

[0032] ELISPOT assays allow detecting cells that secrete various substances. ELISPOT assays can be used, for example, for detecting antigen-specific antibody secreting cells or cytokine producing cells. The examined cells are placed into the wells 2 of a microplate 1 and treated to cause a reaction at least in part of the cells. The cells reacting to the treatment secrete biologically relevant molecules that can be detected as spots. In this assay, one spot represents one immunologically reactive cell.

[0033] FluoroSpot assay can be considered as a modification of the ELISPOT assay. While the ELISPOT assay utilizes an enzyme-labeled antibody and a precipitating enzyme substrate for color development, the FluoroSpot method uses fluorophores. Different fluorophores can be used for detecting different analytes and cells secreting several analytes can be studied using multiplexed assays with multicolored spots.

[0034] A microplate (also called e.g. as a microtiter plate, microwell plate, multiwell plate or multiwell) is a flat plate comprising a plurality of wells, i.e. cavities that are arranged in rows and columns. In FIG. 1 only one of the wells 2 is shown. The wells 2 are configured to receive samples and function as small test tubes. A typical microplate comprises 6, 24, 96, 384 or 1536 wells, although also larger microplates exist. The wells are arranged in a rectangular matrix, where the ratio between the sides is typically 2:3. The samples are usually liquid, but microplates can also be used for example for samples that are in the form of powder. The microplates are typically made of a plastic material.

[0035] The optical reader comprises an illuminating arrangement 4. The function of the illuminating arrangement 4 is to produce polarized light, which is used for illuminating the samples in the wells 2 of the microplate 1. In the optical reader of FIG. 1, one well 2 of the microplate 1 and one sample is illuminated at a time. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the illuminating arrangement 4 comprises a light source 5, which produces unpolarized light. Therefore, the illuminating arrangement 4 further comprises a first polarizer 9, which is a linear polarizer. The first polarizer 9 can be a polarizing filter. The light beam produced by the light source 5 is directed to the first polarizer 9, and substantially only light with a first polarization direction passes the first polarizer 9.

[0036] From the first polarizer 9, the light is directed to a beam splitter 7. The beam splitter 7 is an optical device, which is configured to reflect part of the light and transmit the rest of the light through it. In practice, part of the light received by the beam splitter 7 is absorbed. The beam splitter 7 is arranged to direct the reflected light towards the reading plane 3. The beam splitter 7 can be made, for instance, of two triangular glass prisms that are glued together. Alternatively, the beam splitter 7 can be a coated glass plate. Beam splitters 7 are available with different properties. The optimal beam splitting ratio for the optical reader is 50-50%, i.e. the amount of light reflected by the beam splitter 7 equals the amount of light transmitted by the beam splitter 7. Half of the light that is not absorbed by the beam splitter 7 is thus reflected and half of the light is transmitted. However, the portion of the reflected light could be, for example, in the range of 40-60 percent.

[0037] Between the beam splitter 7 and the reading plane 3, there is arranged a lens system 8 comprising at least one lens 16. In FIG. 1, only a single lens 16 is shown, but in practice the lens system 8 can comprise several lenses. The lens system 8 is arranged to focus the light received from the illuminating arrangement 4 and the beam splitter 7 to the sample, which is arranged on the bottom of the well 2 of the microplate 1. The lens system 8 further comprises an aperture 17 located between the lenses 16 and the reading plane 3.

[0038] The bottom of the well 2 of the microplate 1 and the sample in the well 2 reflect part of the light back towards the lens system 8. In case of FluoroSpot assays, the samples can also emit light. The lens system 8 is configured to focus an image of the sample to an imaging device 6. The same lens system 8 is thus used for focusing the light used for illuminating the sample and for focusing the light received from the microplate 1. From the lens system 8, the light is directed to the beam splitter 7. Part of the light is reflected from the beam splitter 7 towards the illuminating arrangement 4, but part of the light can pass the beam splitter 7 and reach the imaging device 6. If the beam splitting ratio of the beam splitter 7 is 50-50% and absorption by the beam splitter 7 is omitted, half of the light is reflected, and half of the light is transmitted through the beam splitter 7. The imaging device 6 can comprise a digital camera sensor 6a. The imaging device 6 is configured to take one or more images of each sample.

[0039] The aperture 17 between the lenses 16 of the lens system 8 and the reading plane 3 is dimensioned to have a diameter that is at most the same as the diameter of the wells 2 of the microplate 3. This eliminates vignette in both the samples and in the imaging device 6. The aperture 17 can be adjustable to allow the optical reader to be used for analyzing samples in different microplates 1. With the aperture, the size of the illuminated area at the bottom of the well can be adjusted. For instance, in a typical 96-well plate the diameter of the illuminated area could be approximately 6.6 mm and in a 384-well plate 2.5 mm.

[0040] The beam splitter 7 and the lens system 8 maintain the polarization of the light received from the illuminating arrangement 4. The sample and the bottom of the well 2 of the microplate 1 are thus illuminated with light consisting substantially of polarized light. The bottom of the well 2 of the microplate 1 is configured to depolarize the light. The bottom can for example have white matt finish. The light reflected from the bottom of the well 2 therefore consists of waves with different polarizations. The bottom can comprise for example a PVDF membrane. The walls of the well 2 can be black to reduce straylight, although that is not necessary. A suitable microplate can be manufactured for example by making a black microplate and then applying a white membrane on the bottom of each well of the microplate. Alternatively, a black plate with clear bottom could be provided with white membranes applied to the bottoms of the wells. Instead of membranes, some other kind of coating could be used in the wells.

[0041] A second polarizer 10 is arranged between the beam splitter 7 and the imaging device 6. Also the second polarizer 10 is a linear polarizer. The second polarizer 10 can be a polarizing filter. The second polarizer 10 has a second polarization direction, which is perpendicular to the first polarization direction. The second polarizer 10 thus blocks light having the first polarization direction. For instance, if the light from the illuminating arrangement 4 is s-polarized, i.e. the electric field of the light is normal to the plane of incidence, the second polarizer is p-polarizing, i.e. it transmits only light with its electric field along the plane of incidence. Reflections of light from the lens surfaces of the lens system 8 with the first polarization direction are thus blocked, whereas the light reflected from the microplate 1 and consisting of light with different polarization directions can partly pass the second polarizer 10. Stray light can thus be effectively reduced while still enabling image formation in the imaging device 6.

[0042] The polarization direction of the light received from the illuminating arrangement 4 is preferably chosen so that the reflection by the beam splitter 7 is maximized.

[0043] The light source 5 can be, for instance, a LED or a group of LEDs. The illuminated area on the bottom of the well 2 of the microplate 1 should cover the whole bottom. The diameter of a typical LED chip is much smaller than the diameter of the wells 2 of the microplate 1. The size of the illuminated area can be affected by the lens system 8. However, it may be beneficial to increase the size of the illuminated area by arranging an integrating sphere, also known as an Ulbricht sphere, around the LED or other light source. FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an embodiment, where the light source 5 comprises an integrating sphere 13. Instead of the sphere 13, a chamber with another kind of internal shape could be used. A LED 14 is arranged to emit light inside the integrating sphere 13. The integrating sphere 13 comprises a spherical cavity. The inner surface of the cavity is covered with a diffuse reflective coating. The coating causes a uniform scattering of light. Light rays are thus by multiple scattering reflections distributed equally over the inner surface of the cavity. Instead of a coating, the whole chamber could be made of a material having suitable reflective properties. The integrating sphere 13 is provided with an opening 15, through which the light exits the cavity. The opening 15 is dimensioned to produce a light beam with a desired diameter. The power of the light is substantially maintained in the integrating sphere 13 but spatial information of the light is destroyed. Instead of the LED 14, also a laser could thus be used as a light source and the light coming out of the integrating sphere 13 would be unpolarized.

[0044] Instead of using a light source 5 producing unpolarized light and the first polarizer 9, the light source 5 could produce polarized light. The light source 5 could thus be a laser. A laser beam is typically narrow, and a beam expander could therefore be arranged after the light source to increase the diameter of the beam.

[0045] The optical reader further comprises a plate moving device (not shown), which is configured to move the microplate 1. The microplate 1 is moved in the reading plane 3 so that one well 2 at a time is below the lens system 8. An image or several images of the sample is taken and the microplate 1 is then moved so that a next well 2 is below the lens system 8.

[0046] The optical reader of FIG. 1 further comprises a reference detector 11 arranged to measure the intensity of light produced by the illuminating arrangement 4 and transmitted through the beam splitter 7. If a LED is used as the light source 5, the intensity of the LED can change due to heating, which affects the images taken by the imaging device 6. By measuring the intensity of the light, this effect can be taken into account in interpreting the measurement results of the optical reader.

[0047] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the optical reader is further provided with a first filter 12 that is arranged between the illuminating arrangement 4 and the beam splitter 7. The first filter 12 is needed only in FluoroSpot assays. The first filter 12 is not needed if the reader is used only for ELISPOT assays. The first filter 12 is configured to pass through only that part of the spectrum of the light source 5 that is needed for exciting the samples. A second filter 18 is arranged between the beam splitter 7 and the imaging device 6. Like the first filter 12, also the second filter 18 is needed only in FluoroSpot assays. The second filter 18 is configured to pass through light consisting of wavelengths emitted by the samples.

[0048] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the imaging device 6 is arranged directly above the lens system 8. The illuminating arrangement 4 is arranged in the same horizontal plane with the beam splitter 7. The light from the illuminating arrangement 4 is thus reflected to the microplate 1 and the light from the microplate 1 is transmitted through the beam splitter 7. This arrangement allows the use of the reference detector 11 without disturbing the illumination of the sample. However, it would also be possible to switch the places of the imaging device 6 and the illuminating arrangement 4. The light used for illuminating the samples could thus pass the beam splitter 7 and the image of the sample could be reflected by the beam splitter 7 to the imaging device 6.

[0049] The light source 4 could comprise more than one LEDs. For instance, the light source 4 could comprise three LEDs of different colors. Three black-and-white images of each sample could be taken and the images could be used for constructing a color image.

[0050] FIG. 3 shows an optical reader according to another embodiment of the invention. The difference between the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3 is that in the embodiment of FIG. 3, only one polarizer 19 is needed. The optical reader of FIG. 3 comprises an illuminating arrangement 4 producing unpolarized light. Light from the illuminating arrangement 4 is directed towards a beam splitter 7. Part of the light is reflected from the beam splitter 7 towards a lens system 8, which can be identical to the lens system 8 of the embodiment of FIG. 1. It thus comprises one or more lenses 16 and an aperture 17. A polarizer 19 is arranged between the beam splitter 7 and the lens system 8. The polarizer 19 is configured to polarize both the light transmitted from the beam splitter 7 towards the lens system 8 and the light transmitted from the lens system 8 towards the beam splitter 7 and further to an imaging device 6 comprising a camera sensor 6a.

[0051] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the polarizer 19 is a circular polarizer. The circular polarizer 19 is configured to convert unpolarized light received from the beam splitter 7 into circularly polarized light. Circularly polarized light received from the lens system 8 is converted in the circular polarizer 19 into linearly polarized light.

[0052] The circular polarizer 19 comprises a linear polarizer 20 and a quarter-wave plate 21. Unpolarized light from the beam splitter 7 first reaches the linear polarizer 20. Only light with a specific polarization can pass through the linear polarizer 20. The linearly polarized light is passed through the quarter-wave plate 21, which can also be called as a quarter-wave retarder. The quarter-wave plate 21 converts the linearly polarized light into circularly polarized light. The light can be either in right circular polarization state or in left circular polarization state.

[0053] As the circularly polarized light reflects from the surfaces of the lens system 8, it remains circularly polarized. However, if the light passing through the quarterwave plate 21 is in right circular polarization state, the polarization is transformed in reflections into left circular polarization. In the same way, left circular polarization would be transformed into right circular polarization. As the circularly polarized light passes through the quarter-wave plate 21, it is converted into linearly polarized light. However, the polarization direction is perpendicular to the polarization direction of the light that was received by the quarter-wave plate 21 from the linear polarizer 20. As a result, the linearly polarized light is blocked by the linear polarizer 20.

[0054] As an example, the linear polarizer 20 is an s-polarizing filter. It receives unpolarized light from the beam splitter 7 and passes through s-polarized light. The quarter-wave plate 21 converts the s-polarized light into right circular polarized light. The right circular polarized light reflects from the surfaces of the lens system 8 and it is converted into left circular polarized light. The left circular polarized light is converted in the quarter-wave plate 21 into p-polarized light. The p-polarized light is blocked by the s-polarizing filter 20, and reflections from the surfaces of the lens system 8 can thus not pass to the beam splitter 7 and further to the imaging device 6.

[0055] The light reflected from the bottom of the microplate 1 loses its polarization. Part of the light reflected from the microplate 2 can thus pass through the circular polarizer 19 to the beam splitter 7 and further to the imaging device 6.

[0056] For further improving the image, the circular polarizer 19 may be inclined in respect of the axial direction of the lens system 8. The axial direction of the circular polarizer 19 thus differs from the axial direction of the lens system 8. The angle a between the normal 23 of the surface of the circular polarizer 19 and the longitudinal axis 22 of the lens system 8 can be for example in the range of 5-15 degrees. By inclining the circular polarizer 19, less light is reflected from the polarizer 19 to the imaging device 6 and the contrast of the image is improved.

[0057] An example of an ELISPOT assay, for which the optical reader could be used, is described below.

[0058] The bottom of the well 2 of the microplate 1 can be made of a PVDF membrane. The membrane is coated with appropriate antibody coating (capture antibodies). T-cells are dispensed into the wells 2. When the T-cells are treated with certain antigens, the cells will secrete corresponding cytokines. These cytokines are recognized by the capture antibodies resting on the PVDF membrane. The T-cells are washed away after the secretion phase.

[0059] Biotinylated (detection) antibodies are then dispensed into the wells 2, which also recognize the cytokine via a different epitope. The microplate 1 is then incubated with alkaline phosphatase-conjugated streptavidin or a similar detection system. Streptavidin binds to the biotinylated antibodies. Unbound molecules are washed away. Enzyme substrate molecules are added to the wells 2 and these will amplify label visibility on the bottom of the well 2. Spots are formed, and as the well 2 is illuminated with the light beam, the imaging device 6 can be used for taking an image of the bottom. The spots may be counted either manually or using image recognition.

[0060] In FluoroSpot assays fluorophores are used instead of an enzyme-labeled antibody and a precipitating enzyme substrate. In that case, the illuminating arrangement 4 is used for exciting the samples on the bottom of the well 2 with light having a certain wavelength, and the sample emits light with a longer wavelength according to the optical properties of the label molecule. Different fluorophores can be used simultaneously for detecting different analytes (assay multiplexing), as the cells secreting several analytes create multicolored spots.

[0061] It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but may vary within the scope of the appended claims.